Dipper-operating mechanism for excavating machines



March 22 1927.

P. A. ORTON DIPPER OPERATING MECHANISM FOR EXCAVATING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 28 1924 v, Wm

3 2mm a dime/U30 P/ZL'Z A Uriah,

77%??655 My N Q 1,622,239 March 22 1927' P. A. ORTON DIPPEROPERATING MECHANISM FOR EXCAVATING MACHINES- Filed June 28. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 -[nvenia- 0723a M M Patented Mar. 22, 1927. I

UNITED STATES 1,622,239 PATENT, OFFICE.

PHILO A. OR'ION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AS SIGNOR TO OR'ION CRANE & SI-IOVEL GOM- I PANY, F HUNTINGTON, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

DIPLPER-OPERATING MECHANISM FOR EXCAVATING MACHINES.

Application filed June 28,

This invention relates to dipper operating mechanism for excavating machines or shovels, and relates particularly to such mechanism designed for use on shovels in 6 which internal combustion engines are used as a source of power. although equally adapted for use on any type of machine not equipped with independent power means on the boom for advancing the dipper.

For purposes of convenient reference, the machine to which my improved crowding mechanism is applied will be designated a shovel.

As regards its general structural features and method of operation, a shovel embodying my invention and improvements is of the familiar type comprising an under frame supported on wheels, a superstructure rotatably'mounted thereon. a supporting boom pivoted to said superstructure so that its outer end may be raised and lowered, and a dipper mounted on said boom by means of its handle so that it will admit both of pivotal and endwise movement thereon. Specifically and in accordance with common practice, the dipper is mounted on the boom by means of a rack on the dipper handle. the

teeth of which intermesh with the teeth of apinion secured to a shaft mounted in bearings on the boom and held in engagement therewith by means of a yoke constructed and arranged to permit endwis'e movement of said dipper handle to advance and retract the bucket of the dipper.

In accordance with accepted practice. also. shovels of the type specified are equipped with means positioned on the boom commonly known as crowding means. designated and adapted for advancing the dipper to prevent the bucket from backing or being forced out of the material being excavated as said dipper is turned pivotally to raise it along the face of the excavation to fill the dipper.

As regards the dipper operating mechanism. my invention has particular reference to shovels in which-the crowding means comprises a shaft rotatably mounted adjacent the pivoted end of the shovel boom. which has driving connection with the power unit of the shovel. and the transmission means connecting said driven shaft to said. dipper actuating gear comprises gears mounted on said driven shaft and normally free to turn thereon, and independently operated fric- 1924. Serial No. 722,891.

tion clutches adapted for separately securing said gears to said shaft.

The invention also has particular reference to crowding means of the type specified, where the power unit of the shovel consists of an internal combustion engine.

Heretofore, so far as I am aware, the transmission means connecting said driven shaft with the dipper actuating, gear have been positiveexcepting for the friction clutches on said driven shaft. This is objectionable for the reason that it not infrequently results in overloading and"killing the engine-where .the power unit consists of an internal combustion engine-which can only be avoided by close attention on the part of the operator and almost continual manipulation of the main clutch by alternately throwing it into full engagement to secure desired crowding action, and partly releasing it to permit slip'page.- This tends to produce a jerky crowding action and also results in excessive wear in the clutch, necessitating replacement of the clutch at relatively short intervals, causing direct loss both in labor and money for making replacements and also putting the shovels out of commission while repairs are'being made, which often represents indirectly, a much larger loss. H The object of the present invention is to overcome the foregoing objectionable feature and, to this end, the invention consists v in introducing a slip-frictifon device in the transmission connecting the driven shaft with the dipper actuating gear on the boom, the relation being such that slippage will occur in said slip-friction before the load on the engine becomes sufficiently great to killthe engine, thus obviating all necessity for manipulating the main driving clutch on the driven shaft.

' Dipper operating mechanism of my invention also comprises the various other features and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, in which my invention is fully illustrated Figure 1 is a side view of a shovel boom showing the dipper mounted thereon in 0perative position, together with crowding mechanism therefor embodying my invention and improvements.

Figure 2 is a top plan view'of saidboom as all necessary details-e both as regards.

,ating structure and operation can be greadily Supplied ,by englneers Y and mechanics skilled in the art ,and, in the drawingsl have shownend w ll. describe onl the i boom and dlPPeT 0f;a shovel equipped with my improved crowding device and .wliiclrexeinplt ,fyany lusualboom and dipper ofsthis type rtowhichsaid device may be applied.

Describing my invention with particular reference. ,to :the drawings, A designates a shovel boom as a whole, consisting of spaced,

I rigidlyconnected members a. a"; and P- designates theidipper as a whole, comprising: a usual bucket 'b and :a :dipper handle 7), mounted between the boom members a, a. The dipper is supported by means of a rack -1 on the underside of the :handle 7),, the teeth ofwhichiintermesh with theteeth of a .pinion ,2 secured to a shaft '3 mounted in bearings formed ,in sleeves 4, a secured in xbracketsfi,.5, on theboom membersa, a, said rack and ,pinion being maintained in engagement witheaclrother by a ayolrefi, in

accordance with usual practice.

In accordance with my invention, rotation is adapted to ,be imparted to the pinion shaft 2 ,from a countershaft 7 mounted in bearingsin sleeves-8, 8, secured in the brack- Qets '5, v5", by .means of a friction transmis sion gear as follows :,lv[ounted to .turn on ,an end rofithe rcounter shaft '7, wh1chproects through the boom member aisa p1nion 9 "formed on which are disks or check plates 10, 10 and splined ()IYOfhQlWVlSB secured toisaid counter shaft at oppositesides of said pinion so as to rotate therewith while, at the same time, permitting endwise ,movementthereofronasaid shaft, are friction .disksor plates 11, 151,, which are adapted to be maintained in strong; frictional engagement with the cheek plates 10, 10 by a spring 12 inserted betweenthe face of the hub 6f the friction plate 11 and a rigid abutment wor shoulder !18 on ,a sleeve 14 secured in position on .the end of sald counter shaft by a 1n1t15'threaded to the outer end of said counter shaft. The thrust of the spring 12 is sustained by ,the bearing sleeve 8 against which the face of the hub-of the friction plate 11 abuts. Obviously, the frictional engagement of the pinion 9 may be adjusted as desired Ebyiturning the lnut 15 to either increase or decrease-the'tcnsion of the spring 12.

The friction \faces of theidisksor .p'lntes 11, 11", are lined with suitable material, as indicated at 16, secured thereto by copper rivets or other suitable aneans, which may be renewed as they become worn, thus extending the "life of said friction disks almost indefinitely. Preferable 11')1t61'li1l*f10111 whicl' to makethe lining 16 is the product known commercially as ,asbestos Ifabric.

Ribs la- ,webs 10 prefer-ably connect the cheek plates 10,101, withitheir hubs, operboth to strengthen and stiffen said check plates and also providinga "large radiatingvarea which will tendlto prevent the frictiontlinings ifromburning out in operation.

{lhepinion shaft 3ifs driven'by agear 17 secured:totheproyectmg endthereof, which meshes with the pinion 9 on the counter shaft 7.

flhe counter shaft T is atlaptedto be rotated in opposite directionsasit is desired to advance or retract the dipperby driving connection with a shaft18. consisting of a shaft .19 which extends lengthwiseof the boom ,A and is rotatably mountedin braclr etc 20, 20, secured, respectively, ito'the upper edges of the boom members a, a, atljacent to said counter shaft, and-to transverse members 21, 21" secured to the upper and loweredges of said boom members adboom. Secured-to the inner end of the'sha ft 19 is a bevelled gear 22 w hichflmeshes with bevelledgears 23, 23 on theshaft 18, and

secured to the outer end of said shaft 193s T a bevelled gear 24 which mesheswith abe velled gear 25 secured to rotate with the counter shaft 7. As shown, all of said gears are mitre gears. y

The gears 23, 23" arenormally'looseon the shaft 18 Land are adaptedto be secured thereto so as to rotate therewith by means of suitable clutches indicated at '26,*26',engagement anddisengagement of which with said gears is adaptedto be effected by means controlled by the shovel; operator, in a usual 1,00 jacentlto the pivoted end or foot of the As shown, the clutches 26,26 are ausual type of cone friction clutch, the-male members or cones of which are "splined to the shaft 18 andsthe female menibersof which are formed directly in the hubs of the gears 23, 23. Said clutches are adapted to be separately engaged to cause the corresponding near 23, 23" to rotate with the shaft 18, =to

either advance or retract thedippenasthe case may be, by means of cam-collars27p28, 27, 28, mounted on said shadtlSfthecdllars 2". 27 hearing directly against the ends'of the male members of I said clutches and being held against rotation by engagement with a rock shaft 29, and the collars 28, 28 having arms 30 formed thereon which are connected by links 81 with arms 32 secured to said rock shaft. Said cam collars are provided on their contacting faces with engaging cam surfaces, the cam surfaces on the collars 27, 28 being oppositely inclined to those on the collars 27, 28, whereby, when the rock shaft is turned in one direction or the other, one or the other of the clutches 26. 26 will'be thrown into engagement to turn the shaft 19 in a direction to either advance or retract the dipper as may be desired.

The rock shaft 29 is adapted to be controlled by the shovel operator by suitable lever connections, not shown.

The thrust of the cam collars 27, 28, 27, 28 is sustained by nuts threaded to the shaft 18, said nuts being preferably slotted and adapted to be clamped in any desired adjusted position thereon by clamping screws applied to the slotted portions thereof.

I do not, however, desire to limit myself to any particular form of clutch and clutch operating mechanism, as my invention contemplates the use of any desired or approved form of clutch and operating means, such as skilled mechanics could readily supply and of which the clutches shown are merely an exemplification.

The counter shaft 7 is preferably equipped with a brake, indicated at C, controlled by the shovel operator through suitable lever connections provided for the purpose, not shown, and which provides means for hold ing the dipper in any desired position. Said brake'may be of any desired or approved type and can readily be supplied by skilled mechanics and will not, therefore, be either shown or described in detail.

By properly adjusting the tension of the spring 12 which controls the frictional engagement of the pinion 9 with the counter shaft 7, it is obvious that, by throwing in proper clutch 26, 26' to rotate the shaft 3 in a direction to advance the dipper B, said dipper will be forced or crowded into the bank as the dipper is raised along the face of an excavation to fill the same, all in the manner desired and contemplated.

I claim Operating mechanism for shovels of the type specified, comprising in combination, a shaft adapted to be rotated continuously in operation by driving connection with a prime mover, dipper supporting and actuating means, and transmission means connecting said driven shaft and dipper supporting and actuating means, comprising manually controlled friction clutches on said driven shaft, and a slip-friction transmission device applied intermediate said clutches and the dipper supporting and actuating means.

In witness that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I affix my signature this 7th day of June, A. D. 1924.

PHILO A. ORTON. 

